Floating filter



Aug. 31, 1948. c. L. DEWEY FLOATING' FILTER Filed July 21, 1944 m WM 62W.

-. gine.

Patented Aug. 31, 1948 ESTATES PATENT OFFICE QClarence l.L. QDewey,

Elkhart, .Ind., assignorto iChailesLEQTailor. and Harry..E.:Lerner, both of 'Elkhart, Ind, oopartners, doing business as Taylor "Sales Engineering Company,

JElkhart,

:.-Application.July121, 1944, 1 SerialiNo.'-545;950

"'TDlaims.

This invention relates .to improvements in {floatingfilters .One use of the invention .is .to filter the oil drawn from the sump .oroilpanat .the bottom .of an .internalcombustionengine by "a .suctionpump'for forced lubrication. of .theen- The floating properties of the device perzmit .the .oil .tolbe drawn from the sump at alevel .at .Qnadjacent-to .the upper levelof the oiLsu-pplyinsaid sump.

The primaryobject of the. invention-is.to .pro- (vide; a deviceghaving a. filter element ofiarge area to minimize'the danger-of clogging thereof.

.A further object is .to provideafilter device having a novel arrangement ofrloat chamber,

filter element and inlet and outletopenings.

A -further object is to provide a deviceo'f this character with .normally closed valve vmeans adapted to'be opened by suction in theoutlet'in the eventthe filterelement becomesclogged.

A further object istoprovide a device of this character having a pivot mounting, and .novel means for limiting pivotal movement of the device.

parts broken away.

Fig.2 is aside view ofgthe device.

Fig. '3 .isa transverse vertical sectional view of :the device; taken on'1ine"33 of Fig. '1.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, the numeral ill) .designates an inverted imperforate cupeshaped housing portion.

of portion "ID is secured in sealed'relation, soldering, an imperforate' metal disc 1'2. Disc '12 has a central cup-shaped depressed portion "l4, preferably integral therewith .and of a .radius approximately one-half the radius of the disc. At the center of'thebase of portion is formed anintegral inverted cup-shaped portion [6. A second :cup-shaped portion 18 of approximately the same size asiportion -lu.is'fixedly.secured .at

its marginal edge tothelower marginal "edge .of

,portion 'l'fl. The parts l0, l2 and I8 fform'the housing of the device, with the parts ill) and l 2 defining a sealed floatchamber'm in'the upper portion oi'the housing.

'A curved pipe or tube housing through an opening .in the side of the lower cup-shaped housing part t8 whichlis preferably defined 'by anannularinturned flange 24 in which the tube is solidly supported and .to

Atthe lower .marginal edges asby 22 projects into the ofahousing portion l8, each insubstantially vertical alignment or registrationwith-a boss -28 of -.the.series in disc 12. ,A'pair ofrupwardlyoflf-set bossesJill isformed in the baseof-housing part vliliat-opposite sides of tube 22, preferably spaced -closer-to both the tube and the margin of the housing part than the terminal bosses .32 of the arcuate series. Bosses (not shown) areformed indisc -!2 in axial alignment with'the bosses 34.

A metal filter screen of suitablecmesh is'po- ,sitioned inthe lower chamber of the housing.

TIThisscreen .is of .a width equal to the height .;of the lower or filter chamber of the housing.

The central or intermediate portion of the screen, "spaced-from itsends,-is bent orioldedin alter- .naterreverse direction, i. e. in an accordion-like fold. The number of folds 36 is equal to the ,number of spaces between thebosses 23. Each fold iifi is positioned between adjacent bosses 28 and-32 at its upper and lower edges, respectively, with the :folds positioned in spaced relation to the-outer =-wall of the filterchamber and to the central'deprcssion i4 in-said chamber-as shown in Fig. l. The end portions 40. of the filter are -each,passedoutwardly around the-bosses 3 4 and .thenceextend substantially in engagement and which the tube is securedginsealed relation, .as xofgthetube-i-l .in the-direction ofthe otherdbosses of said pairs, i. -e. adjacent to but spaced from the housing Qwall. Filter end-slfi have openings therein fitting snugly around the inner projecting: end of thetubeZZ. I

Spaced openings -42 are formed in the lower housing .part l8, either in the side wall thereof as showner at some other part thereof outwardly =of--the--:circular filter screen 36. Oil is drawn through these o-penings byth-e suction-of a suit- .able oil pump (not shown). acting-throughitube .22.- The .oil-drawn through theopenings passes through the filter and into the open'inner end .It will be-noted that the -folded by the screen interposed between the tube 22 and J openings 42 from entering said tube. A further advantage of the construction is that the filter 36 may be removed for cleaning or replacement by removing bottom housing part 18, the filter then being readily removed by simply sliding it free from the inner end of the tube since the filter is not otherwise secured to the device. Re-

placement of a filter is also simple because its proper location is facilitated by the bosses 28 32 and 34.

An opening 44 is preferably provided centrally in the bottom of housing part l8 in coaxial relation to socket off-set I6. A fiat valve plate 46 having an inwardly extending boss 48 concentric with opening 44, serves to normally close said opening. Valve plate 46 may be pivoted within the housing in any suitable manner, As here illustrated, an elongated slot 50 is formed in the bottom of housing part 18 spaced from opening 44 and preferably positioned within the outline of annular filter screen 36. Plate 46 is elongated and has an off-set terminal portion 52 fitting snugly in slot 50 and normally bearing at its end against the outer face of housing part l8. A coil spring 54 fits around boss 48 and its opposite end fits in socket l6 to normally hold the valve in closed position.

This valve construction provides a safety factor in adverse conditions, as when the filter has become clogged or when the oil does not flow freely through the filter in extremely cold weather. In such cases, the suction of th pump becomes effective within the space defined by the annular filter to open the valve plate 46 against the action of spring 54. r

The free or outer end of tube 22 terminates in a short straight portion projecting through and beyond the bracket 26 which supports it. This tube portion fits snugly and rotatably in the horizontal lower end portion 56 of the tube 58 connected with the intake-end of the oil pump (not shown). Tube 58 fixedly mounts a collar 50 flush with its end and adapted for large area face engagement with bracket 26 to provide a substantially sealed joint retarding the ingress of oil into the tube and substantially preventing leakage of oil from the tube Collar 60 has an upwardly projecting ear 62 which mounts a rectangular lug 64 projecting longitudinally therefrom in spaced relation above tube 22 through a rectangular opening 66 in the bracket 26 and in a washer 68 bearing against said bracket. A .cotter pin at the outer end of lug 64 retains the filter unit in operative position on tube 58. The opening 66 is coaxial with lug 64 but of somewhat larger size. This permits tube 22 to have a limited pivotal movement in tube 58 to accommodate swinging of the filter housing vertically as required to compensate its position relative to difierent levels of the oil in which it floats, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. It will be noted that any stresses occurring incident to sudden stopping of such pivotal or swinging movement are taken at the bracket 26 and collar 60, rather than at-the tubes on the 4 housing, thus providing a strong construction capable of withstanding the conditions of use occurring in vehicles traveling over rough roads, etc.

I claim: v

1. A floating filter comprising a housing having an upper sealed float chamber and a lower filter chamber having opposed Walls each provided with a series of bosses and a marginal wall connecting said first Walls and having an aperture therein, a filter element within said filter chamber spanning said opposed walls and bent to provide folds and a tubular shape defining an inner compartment of irregular outline spaced from the marginal Wall of the housing, said folds extending partially around said bosses to position said filter element, and an outlet conduit communicating with said inner compartment.

2. A floating filter as defined in claim 1, wherein said filter element constitutes a screen having a plurality of zig-zag folds each positioned at its opposite edges between adjacent bosses of said respective series.

3. In a floating filter, a housing having a buoyant upper portion and a filter chamber defined by opposed walls and a marginal wall connecting said first walls and having an aperture, said opposed walls provided with a plurality of spaced bosses each registering with a boss in the opposite wall, an elongated filter screen between and spanning said walls and bent longitudinallyin annular form to enclose a space within said chamber, said bosses engaging and positioning the ends of said screen, the end portions of said screen being substantially in engagement, and a conduit projecting into said chamber and through the end portions of said screen.

4. The combination defined in claim 3, Wherein said screen has a plurality of folds each positioned between adjacent bosses in each of said walls.

5. In a floating filter, a buoyant housing, means dividing said housing to provide a sealed upper fioat chamber and a lower filter chamber having amarginal wall with apertures therein, a. filter element dividing said filter chamber into inner and outer compartments, said apertures communicating with said outer compartment, an outlet conduit connecting with said inner compartment, and a normally closed spring loaded valved inlet in said housing communicating with said inner compartment to permit flow to said outlet when said filter element clogs.

6. A floating filter adapted to be connected by a conduit with a suction pump, comprising a housing having a partition therein dividing the same to provide a sealed upper float chamber and a lower filter chamber, said housing having apertures opening into said filter chamber, a filter element dividing said filter chamber into inner and outer compartments, said conduit communicating with said inner compartment, said inner compartment being defined in part by a portion of said housing having an aperture therein, the remaining apertures communicating with said outer compartment, and a spring pressed valve normally closing the aperture communicating with the inner compartment and adapted to be opened by suction when said filter element clogs.

7. A floating filter comprising a housing having an annular wall, opposed end Walls and a transverse partition defining a sealed upper float chamber and a lower filter chamber, said annular wall having apertures open at said filter chamher, a substantially annular filter element positioned within and spanning said filter chamber, an outlet conduit communicating with the space enclosed by said filter element, the housing end wall defining the Outer end of said filter chamher having an opening therein positioned inwardly of said filter element, a plate pivotally carried by said last named end wall and normally sealing said opening, and a coil spring positioned within and spanning said filter chamher, said spring bearing at its ends against said partition and said plate to normally urge said plate to closed position.

CLARENCE L. DEWEY.

Name v Date Ballard Feb. 16, 1858 Number Number Number 6 Name Date Carter et al Feb. 8, 1876 Lindsay Dec. 2, 1879 Hawk Sept. 18, 1894 White May 24, 1898 Cox July 27, 1909 Morton Apr. 3, 1923 Breer Jan. 5, 1926 Jewett Mar. 6, 1928 Pelletier Oct. 8, 1929 Lyman et a1 June 19, 1934 Gulick Mar. 5, 1940 Williams Apr. 29, 1941 Easton et a1 June 23, 1942 Haselwood May 4, 1943 Andrews Oct. 19, 1943 Zech Nov. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Jan. 17, 1906 

